2013.05.30 Food keeps finding its way into the news

Written by David Green.

By RICH FOLEY

Lately, I keep noticing news items with food involved in one way or another, like a recent New York Times article titled, “On A College Waiting List? Sending Cookies Isn’t Going to Help.” That may come as bad news for those hoping to impress a college admissions department.

The article tells of students who are “bombarding their dream schools with baked goods, family photos, craft projects depicting campus landmarks and dossiers of testimonials from civic and religious leaders,” just a few of the methods that desperate students are using to get off a waiting list and into a freshman class. A problem for the colleges is trying to determine who really wants to come to their college and who is just trying to have a fallback if a spot at their first choice doesn’t become available.

Vassar College actually tells students on their waiting list what to do to possibly help their case if openings occur (most colleges prefer a simple letter updating your academic record) and what’s going to hurt your case. You’d think that would be obvious, but not to some students.

Admissions officers report students who insult the college’s judgment, in some cases belittling the accomplishments of high school classmates who have already been accepted. Then there’s the old favorite of threatening to go over the admissions department’s head, virtually guaranteed to backfire. Showing up and demanding an interview almost never works, especially if you bring along a tent and threaten to camp outside the door until you get one.

One student wrote the admissions officer at her supposedly favorite school every day via email, also sending letters by postal mail and having alums write on her behalf. When a mere three spots opened up, she was chosen for one of them. When called with the good news, she informed the college she was going somewhere else.

A prospective student who sent the admissions counselor at Yale University a rather large number of cookies spelling out both the name of the institution and that of the counselor didn’t make the cut. Neither did another prospective Yale student’s parent who offered the counselor two free pizzas a week for a year.

Some parents are getting the message that food bribes won’t help. At another school, the father of a student on the waiting list offered the director of admissions free rotator cuff surgery. When informed that she didn’t need it, he changed the offer to carpal tunnel surgery. Unfortunately, she didn’t need that, either. With all those baked goods gifts, maybe he should have offered her lap band surgery.

The Times also recently had an article about an entrepreneur in Gaza City who has started a business importing food from a KFC franchise in Egypt to feed hungry customers in the Gaza Strip. The food goes on a road trip beginning with a ride in an Egyptian taxi, crossing an international border, transfer to a Gazan taxi, then delivery to the entrepreneur, who makes deliveries to his customers.

Kahlil Efrangi started out by forming a company to deliver food from Gazan restaurants, the first to offer such a service. Since the Gaza Strip has no name-brand fast food franchises, when Efrangi brought back a supply of KFC chicken from a trip to Egypt for some friends, their demand for more convinced him to expand his business.

Efrangi limits his delivery menu to chicken pieces, french fries, cole slaw and apple pie. By sticking to a few basic items, Efrangi cuts down on the chances of receiving or delivering a wrong item, saying that allowing orders of sandwiches with various additions or deletions slows down the process and increases the possibility of mistakes.

Even with a barebones menu, the process of making phone calls to the restaurant, arranging for wire payments, getting permission from the government for the chicken transfer across the border, etc., means that the chicken takes four hours or more to arrive. By then, the chicken is no longer crunchy and the fries are soggy.

What’s more, Efrangi has to charge more than double what he pays the Egypt KFC to cover his expenses and make the effort worthwhile. Nevertheless, his customers are happy. And who knows? KFC chicken might be the perfect bribe to get your child into the University of Gaza.

GAMES DAY—Finn Molitierno (right) celebrates a goal during a game of Nok Hockey with his sister, Kyla. The two tried out a variety of games Saturday at Stair District Library’s annual International Games Day event. One of the activities featured a sort of scavenger hunt in which participants had to locate facts presented in the Smithsonian Hometown Teams exhibit. The traveling show left Morenci’s library Tuesday, wrapping up a series of programs that began Oct. 2. Additional photos are on page 7.

STRANGE STUFF—Morenci Elementary School students learn that blue isn’t really blue when seen through the right color of lens. Volunteer April Pike presents the lesson to students at one of the many stations brought to the school by the COSI science center. The theme of this year’s visit was the solar system.

MAPLE leaves show their fall colors in a puddle at Morenci’s Riverside Natural Area. “This was a great year for colors,” said local weather watcher George Isobar. Chilly mornings will give way to seasonable fall temperatures for the next two weeks.

MORENCI Marching Band member Brittany Dennis keeps the beat Friday during the half-time show of the Morenci/Pittsford football game. Color guard member Jordan Cordts is at the left. The band performed this season under the direction of Doyle Rodenbeck who served as Morenci’s band director in the 1970s. He’s serving as a substitute during a family leave.

MOVING EAST—Utility workers continue their slow progress east along U.S. 20 south of Morenci. New electrical poles are put in place before wiring is moved into place.

A PERFORMER named Biligbaatar, a member of the AnDa Union troupe from Inner Mongolia, dances at Stair District Library last week during a visit to the Midwest. The nine-member group blends a variety of traditions from Inner and Outer Mongolia. The music is described as drawing from “all the Mongol tribes that Genghis Khan unified.” The group considers itself music gatherers whose goal is to preserve traditional sounds of Mongolia. Biligbaatar grew up among traditional herders who live in yurts. Additional photos are on the back page of this week’s Observer.

HOLDEN HUTCHISON gives a hug to a black bear cub—the product of a taxidermist’s skills—at the Michigan DNR’s Great Youth Jamboree. The event on Sunday marked the fourth year of the Jamboree. Additional photos are on page 12.